U.S. patent number 10,066,887 [Application Number 15/909,879] was granted by the patent office on 2018-09-04 for tool and method for modifying a magazine lock.
The grantee listed for this patent is Stage 5 Enterprises, LLC. Invention is credited to Charles Chang, Emil Chao.
United States Patent |
10,066,887 |
Chang , et al. |
September 4, 2018 |
Tool and method for modifying a magazine lock
Abstract
A firearm and a jig for modifying or constructing a firearm with
a locking magazine release button is provided. The firearm has a
lower receiver including a magazine locking pin aperture disposed
in an upper surface thereof where the magazine locking aperture
intersects with a magazine release button aperture in a side
surface of the lower receiver. The firearm also has an upper
receiver attached to the lower receiver via a pivot pin, a magazine
attachable to the lower receiver, a magazine locking pin inserted
into the magazine locking pin aperture, and a magazine release
button comprising a recessed locking catch. The magazine release
button releases the magazine when the upper receiver is away from
the lower and the pin is not in the magazine locking aperture. The
button is inoperable when the upper receiver is next to the lower
receiver and the pin engages the locking catch.
Inventors: |
Chang; Charles (Laguna Hills,
CA), Chao; Emil (Studio City, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stage 5 Enterprises, LLC |
Laguna Hills |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family
ID: |
60940979 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/909,879 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
15653474 |
Jul 18, 2017 |
9945631 |
|
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|
62363787 |
Jul 18, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A
17/36 (20130101); F41A 3/66 (20130101); F41A
17/38 (20130101); F41C 7/00 (20130101); F41A
35/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41A
3/66 (20060101); F41A 3/04 (20060101); F41A
17/38 (20060101); F41A 17/36 (20060101); F41C
7/00 (20060101); F41A 35/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;42/75.03 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tillman, Jr.; Reginald S
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Weide and Miller, Ltd.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent
application Ser. No. 15/653,474 filed on Jul. 18, 2017, which
claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/363,787
which was filed on Jul. 18, 2016, the contents of which are hereby
incorporated by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A speed cam configured to replace a take-down pin of a firearm
having a lower and an upper receiver, the speed cam comprising: a
head disposed at a first end, the head comprising a projection that
interfaces with a lever arm; an annular groove disposed adjacent to
the head, the annular groove comprising at least one detent; an
intermediate cylindrical surface disposed adjacent to the annular
groove; a terminal cylindrical surface disposed at a second end;
and cam surfaces disposed between the intermediate cylindrical
surface and the terminal cylindrical surface, the cam surfaces
configured to interface with the upper receiver to define an open
position between the upper receiver and the lower receiver, a
locked position between the upper receiver and the lower receiver,
and a removable position between the upper receiver and the lower
receiver.
2. The speed cam of claim 1, wherein the cam surfaces comprise a
locking cam surface having a radius similar to the intermediate
cylindrical surface and the terminal cylindrical surface.
3. The speed cam of claim 2, wherein the cam surfaces comprise an
open cam surface having a radius less than the intermediate
cylindrical surface and the terminal cylindrical surface.
4. The speed cam of claim 1, wherein the speed cam further
comprises an axial groove extending through the intermediate
cylindrical surface and into the terminal cylindrical surface.
5. The speed cam of claim 4, wherein the axial groove comprises a
stop detent disposed toward the second end.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to firearms. More specifically the
disclosed embodiments relate to methods and systems for modifying a
magazine locking mechanism of a firearm, and a firearm with a
locking magazine release.
2. Related Art
Laws and policy controlling the sale and transfer of firearms
continue to evolve. Some jurisdictions have considered or have
passed various regulations attempting to prevent firearms from
being sold that would enable a criminal or terrorist to shoot
multiple rounds of ammunition in a short period of time. Such laws
are often politically controversial. However, the result is a
demand to develop new firearms that comply with such regulations or
to develop methods and systems to modify existing firearms so that
such firearms are compliant with the regulations.
An example of such a regulation passed in California classifies
weapons with magazine release button that allow for the quick
removal and reinstallation of magazines as assault rifles. This
includes magazine release buttons that require tools to operate.
The regulation requires current owners of such weapons to register
the firearm as a registered assault weapon (RAW). Transfer of a RAW
under the regulations is prohibited, event in the event of
death.
For a firearm to not be considered an assault rifle, the firearm's
action must be open for the magazine to be released. One way this
is done is for the firearm to be at least partially disassembled to
remove the magazine.
Examples of firearms that have a magazine release button to remove
a magazine include the popular AR-15 rifle, including the many
variations on the AR-15 platform, and the AR-308. An example of an
AR-15 rifle 100 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The rifle 100 has a
magazine release button 102 that releases a magazine 104 for quick
removal of the magazine 104 to quickly reinstall a new magazine
104. Thus, the typical AR-15 rifle would likely be considered an
assault rifle under the California regulation.
Given the popularity of the AR-15, there are proposed methods of
modifying the rifle to comply with the regulation. In these
proposals, the rifle 100 is modified so that the magazine release
button 102 is rendered inoperable until after the rifle 100 is
disassembled such that the rifle cannot be fired. For example, the
rifle is modified so that a magazine release button 102 will not
work until a rear take down pin 108 is removed and the upper
receiver 110 is pivoted away from the lower receiver 112 via the
pivot pin 106.
In these previously proposed methods, the modifications to the gun
may be considered unsightly. For example, the previous proposed
modifications require a large, thick lever arm between the upper
receiver and the magazine release button. Further, the required
pivoting of the upper receiver with respect to the lower receiver
for the magazine release button to enable is large, making the
process awkward. Many of the proposed modifications also require
epoxy to make the modified parts unremovable from the outside.
In some cases, the rifle will double feed. In this case, the bolt
carrier group is partially locked back and one round is partially
in the chamber, the second is either 1/2 in the mag and into the
barrel area or inside of the gun. The safe way to clear this is to
remove the magazine and drop out the extra rounds and to pull back
the charging handle. Since the bolt is partially retracted, a user
can't rotate the upper out of the way to clear the magazine release
so a user has to clear this with the magazine in the firearm making
it dangerous. In the other designs, the retracted or partially
retracted bolt carrier group prevents the action from opening and
releasing the magazine.
Accordingly, more convenient, safe, and attractive modifications
are necessary to modify a rifle so that it can be compliant with
such regulations.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, systems and methods for modifying a firearm, and a
firearm design have been developed that safely and conveniently
allow for disassembly of a firearm to disengage the action to allow
a magazine to be release. In one embodiment, a jig for modifying a
magazine release mechanism is provided. The jig includes mounting
blocks that are releasably attached to a take-down pin and a pivot
pin of a lower receiver of a firearm, and a base plate attached to
the mounting blocks. The base plate includes a plurality of drill
gauges, at least one drill guide aperture, a magazine release
button recess that removably attaches to a magazine release button;
and at least one drill guide that is removably inserted into the at
least one drill guide aperture.
In some embodiments, the base plate also includes at least one
locating feature to position the jig on the lower receiver of the
firearm. The at least one locating feature may include a lip
protruding from a bottom surface and/or a vertical extension
projecting from the bottom surface. The vertical extension may be
aligned with the at least one drill guide aperture and may include
a set screw drill hole aperture that extends through the vertical
extension parallel to the bottom surface.
In one embodiment, the magazine release button recess is formed on
a bottom surface of the base plate and overlaps the at least one
drill guide aperture. The magazine release button recess may have
an oval shape.
In another embodiment, a speed cam is provided that is configured
to replace a take-down pin of a firearm having a lower and an upper
receiver. The speed cam includes a head disposed at a first end
that has a projection that interfaces with a lever arm, an annular
groove disposed adjacent to the head that has at least one detent,
an intermediate cylindrical surface disposed adjacent to the
annular groove, a terminal cylindrical surface disposed at a second
end, and cam surfaces disposed between the intermediate cylindrical
surface and the terminal cylindrical surface. The cam surfaces
interface with the upper receiver to define an open position
between the upper receiver and the lower receiver, a locked
position between the upper receiver and the lower receiver, and a
removable position between the upper receiver and the lower
receiver.
In one embodiment, the cam surfaces include a locking cam surface
having a radius similar to the intermediate cylindrical surface and
the terminal cylindrical surface. The locking cam surfaces hold the
upper receiver next to the lower receiver in a locked position. The
cam surfaces may also comprise an open cam surface having a radius
less than the intermediate cylindrical surface and the terminal
cylindrical surface. This smaller radius allows the upper receiver
to pivot away from the lower receiver. In this position, the action
is disengaged and the magazine may be released from the
firearm.
The speed cam may further include an axial groove extending through
the intermediate cylindrical surface and into the terminal
cylindrical surface. The axial groove comprises a stop detent
disposed toward the second end. The axial groove allows the speed
cam to be pulled out to clear the upper receiver, allowing the
upper receiver to be fully disassembled from the lower
receiver.
In yet another embodiment, a firearm with a locking magazine
release button is provided. The firearm includes a lower receiver
having a magazine locking pin aperture on a top surface that
extends to intersect with a magazine release button aperture in a
side surface. An upper receiver is attached to the lower receiver
via a pivot pin where the upper receiver may pivot relative to the
lower receiver via the pivot pin.
A magazine is provided that releasably attaches to the lower
receiver, and a magazine locking pin is included that is inserted
into the magazine locking pin aperture. A magazine release button
is disposed in the magazine release button aperture and includes a
recessed locking catch. The magazine release button releases the
magazine when the upper receiver is pivoted away from the lower
receiver and the magazine locking pin does not extend into the
magazine locking aperture. The magazine release button is
inoperable to release the magazine when the upper receiver is next
to the lower receiver and the magazine locking pin extends into the
magazine locking aperture and engages the recessed locking
catch.
In some embodiments, the firearm further comprises a take-down pin
connecting the upper receiver and the lower receiver. The take-down
pin locks the upper receiver to the lower receiver and prevents the
upper receiving from pivoting away from the lower receiver. The
magazine locking pin includes a large diameter portion and a small
diameter portion, and a spring disposed within the magazine locking
pin aperture biases the magazine locking pin out of the magazine
locking pin aperture.
The magazine locking pin aperture may include a threaded hole in a
sidewall thereof. The magazine locking pin may include a u-shaped
recess defining a locking seat. A set screw disposed in the
threaded hole engages the locking seat to lock the magazine locking
pin within the magazine locking pin aperture. The firearm may
include a speed cam as described above.
The firearm results in a locking and unlocking magazine release
button that can release the magazine when the action is open a
small amount where the bolt carrier group is partially or fully
retracted. Legal magazine changes are facilitated when the bolt
carrier group is fully retracted and held in place by the bolt
catch.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show an exemplary rifle.
FIG. 2A shows an unassembled view of a jig for modifying a magazine
locking mechanism, and FIG. 2B shows an assembled view of the jig
in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, and FIG. 3E show steps of using
a jig for modifying magazine locking mechanism, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, FIG. 4E, and FIG. 4F show steps
of using a jig for modifying a magazine release button, according
to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows a magazine locking pin, according to one exemplary
embodiment.
FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, and FIG. 6D show assembly steps of
adding a magazine locking pin to a firearm, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show installation of a modified magazine
locking button, according to one exemplary embodiment.
FIGS. 8A and 8B show operation of a firearm with a modified
magazine lock, according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, and FIG. 9C show a speed cam assembly, according
to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 10C show operation of a speed cam
assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of
the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate
corresponding parts throughout the different views.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Described below are jigs, methods, and systems for modifying a
firearm to have a locked magazine until an action of the firearm is
disengaged. Reference is made throughout the specification and
figures to an AR-15 rifle to facilitate explanation. However, the
jigs, methods, and systems may be applied to several other weapons
systems and are not limited to the AR-15.
FIG. 2A shows an unassembled view of a jig for modifying a magazine
locking mechanism, and FIG. 2B shows an assembled view of the jig
in FIG. 2A. A magazine locking assembly modification jig 200 is
comprised of a base plate 210 having a top side 202, a bottom side
204, a first end 206, and a second end 208. The base plate 210
comprises several features to enable modification of a firearm,
such as an AR-15 rifle.
The base plate 210 comprises drill guide holes that provide
templates for modifying parts of the rifle. A magazine lock pin
guide hole 212 is disposed on a center portion of the base plate
210 and extends through from the top side 202 to the bottom side
204. A magazine lock catch guide hole 214 is also provided
extending from the top side 202 to the bottom side 204.
On the top side 202 of the base plate 210, a first depth gauge 216,
a second depth gauge 218, and a third depth gauge 220 are provided.
These depth gauges 216, 218, 220 accurately set drill depths for
modified features of the rifle as will be discussed in more detail
below. The depth gauges 216, 218, 220 extend from a lateral edge of
the base plate 210 and are disposed towards the second end 208.
Additional depth gauges 226, 227 extend on the top side 202 of the
base plate 210 from the first end. These depth gauges 226, 227
accurately set drill depths for other modified features of the
rifle as discussed below. Apertures 222, 224 are provided to attach
mounting blocks 230, as shown in FIG. 2B. The apertures 222, 224
are formed in an oval shape to accommodate a universal fit to
several gun types. The mounting blocks 230 are configured to
reference the jig 200 to a lower receiver of a rifle. Here, the
mounting blocks 230 mount to the pivot pin and take down pin of an
AR-15 rifle (see pivot pin 106 and takedown pin 108 in FIG. 1B). A
width of the jig 200 is formed to be wider than the lower receiver
so that the jig can be held in a clamping device, such as a vise,
to facilitate work on the lower receiver.
The base plate 210 further comprises a vertical extension 228 that
projects downward from the bottom side 204. This feature further
helps to orient the base plate 210 relative to the lower receiver
of the rifle. Aperture 229 may be threaded and provides access to
the magazine lock pin guide hole 212 to lock drill guides 232, 234
within the hole 212. Fasteners 236 are provided to attach the
mounting blocks 230 and fix the drill guides 232, 234. The base
plate also has a lip 240 projecting slightly from the bottom side
204 to reference the jig 200 to the lower receiver to provide the
correct spacing between the lower receiver and the jig 200. The
combination of the mounting blocks 230, the vertical extension 228
and lip 240 ensures the correct positioning of the jig 200 in each
of the x-, y-, and z-directions (the x-direction referring to the
direction from the first end 206 to the second end 208, the
y-direction referring to a direction perpendicular to the
x-direction and parallel with the top side 202 and bottom side 204
of the base plate 210, and the z-direction referring to a direction
perpendicular to a plane defined by the top side 202 and the bottom
side 204 of the base plate 210) as well as at the correct rotation
position.
FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, and FIG. 3E show steps of using
a jig for modifying a lower receiver to accommodate a magazine
locking mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment. After the
jig 200 is attached to the lower receiver of the rifle, a hole to
facilitate a magazine locking pin may be drilled. As shown in FIG.
3A, a drill bit 310 is placed in the drill bit depth gauge 227 to
set a drill stop 312 to control a drill depth for the drill bit
310. In FIG. 3B, the drill bit 310 is inserted into the first drill
guide 232 to drill a hole with a first width in the lower receiver
to accommodate the magazine locking pin. The first drill guide 232
is then replaced with the second drill guide 234 (see FIG. 3C), and
a hole for the magazine locking pin is extended with a second width
that is narrower than the first width. The depth of the extended
part of the hole is set by the third depth gauge 220. This forms a
spring seat within the magazine locking pin hole, as will be
explained in more detail below.
A retaining screw hole is formed on a side of the magazine locking
pin hole by setting a drill depth of a drill bit 314 using the
second drill gauge 218 as shown in FIG. 3C. The vertical extension
228 of the base plate 210 further comprises a transverse hole 242
through which the drill bit 314 is inserted as shown in FIG. 3D to
drill the retaining screw hole. After the retaining screw hole is
formed, it is tapped with female threads. FIG. 3E shows a resulting
magazine locking pin hole 350 with the retaining screw hole 352. As
mentioned above, the pin hole 350 has a larger upper diameter and a
smaller lower diameter that form a spring seat.
FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, FIG. 4E, and FIG. 4F show steps
of using a jig for modifying a magazine release button, according
to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4A, the base plate 210
comprises a recessed oval 244 in the bottom surface 204. The
recessed oval 244 is located to at least partially overlap with the
magazine lock catch guide hole 214. A threaded screw hole 246 is
disposed in the base plate 210 within the recessed oval 244.
In FIG. 4B, a magazine release button 410 fits within the recessed
oval 244 and is fastened to the base plate 210 via a fastener 326.
Drill bit 310 is set to a drill depth via the drill gauge 226 with
the drill stop 312 as shown in FIG. 4C. In FIG. 4D, the drill guide
232 is placed in the magazine lock catch guide hole 214. The drill
bit 310 at the set drill depth machines out a locking catch 412 in
the release button 410 (FIG. 4F). A drill depth for a second drill
bit is set via the first drill gauge 216 as shown in FIG. 4E. Using
hole 248 as a guide, a set screw hole 414 is formed in the magazine
release button 410 (FIG. 4F). This hole is tapped with female
threads to receive a set screw.
FIG. 5 shows a magazine locking pin, according to one exemplary
embodiment. A magazine locking pin 500 comprises a large diameter
portion 510 and a small diameter portion 520. A spring 530 is
disposed over the small diameter portion 520 and abuts against the
large diameter portion 510. In use, the spring is placed into the
pin hole 350 and is seated on the spring seat to bias the large
diameter portion 510 away from the spring seat. The large diameter
portion 510 has a u-shaped recess 512 formed therein forming two
extensions 514 and a locking seat 516 at the bottom of the u-shaped
recess 512.
FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, and FIG. 6D show assembly steps of
adding a magazine locking pin to a firearm, according to an
exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 6A, the magazine locking pin 500 is
inserted into the magazine locking pin hole 350. The spring 530
biases the pin 500 out of the hole as explained above. FIG. 6B
shows an upper receiver 110 and a lower receiver 112 in an
assembled position where the upper receiver 110 is directly
adjacent to the lower receiver 112. The lower receiver comprises a
magazine release button aperture 114. In this position, the upper
receiver 110 forces the pin 500 down so that the extensions 514 are
flush with the top of the lower receiver 112. The small diameter
portion 510 of the pin 500 extends into the magazine release button
aperture 114 via the small diameter portion of the pin hole
350.
When the upper receiver 110 is pivoted away from the lower receiver
112, the spring biases the pin 500 upwards so that the small
diameter portion 510 no longer protrudes into the magazine release
button aperture 114. As shown in FIG. 6D, a set screw 602 within
the hole 352 of the magazine locking pin hole 350 engages the
locking seat 516 to lock the pin 500 within the hole 350 preventing
the pin 500 from falling out when upper receiver 110 is pivoted
away from the lower receiver 112. For example, when the pin 500 is
biased out of the hole 350 by the spring 530, the set screw 602
comes into contact with the locking seat 516 to prevent further
movement of the pin 500 out of the hole 350. This screw 602 also
prevents the rotation of the pin 500 within the hole 350.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show installation of a modified magazine
locking button, according to one exemplary embodiment. The magazine
release button 410 is inserted and secured into the magazine
release button aperture 114. The magazine release button 410 may be
biased towards the outside of the lower receiver 112 via a spring
702. The locking catch 412 is positioned on the upward side of the
magazine release button aperture 114 to interface with the pin 500.
To ensure a good fit and interaction between the locking catch 412
and the pin 500, a set screw 704 may be used as shown in FIG. 7B.
The adjustment of the set screw as shown in FIG. 7B ensures that
the locking catch 412 is correctly positioned at the top side of
the magazine release button aperture 114 and eliminates excessive
play between the magazine release button and the magazine release
button aperture 114.
FIGS. 8A and 8B show operation of a firearm with a modified
magazine lock, according to an exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 8A,
the upper receiver 112 is locked next to the lower receiver 110 by
the take down pin 108. In this position, the pin 500 interacts with
the locking catch 412, preventing the magazine 104 from releasing
from the lower receiver 112. When the take-down pin 108 is removed
as shown in FIG. 8B, the upper receiver 110 may rotate about the
pivot pin 106. The pin 500 moves upward and the magazine release
button 410 may be actuated to release the magazine 104.
FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, and FIG. 9C show a speed cam assembly, according
to an exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 9A, a speed cam assembly 900
includes a speed cam 902, a lever arm 990, and fastener 998. The
speed cam 902 has a first end 904 and a second end 906. At a first
end 904 of the speed cam, a speed cam head 908 is provided with a
projection 910 for applying a torque to the speed cam 902. The
projection 910 comprises a threaded aperture 912 by which the
fastener 998 secures the lever arm 990 to the speed cam 900.
The lever arm 990 comprises an arm portion 992 and an aperture 994
through which the fastener 998 may pass. The lever arm 900 further
comprises a slot 996 on a rear side that engages the projection 910
so that a force applied on the arm portion 992 is transferred to
the projection 910 to rotate the speed cam 902.
The first end 904 of the speed cam 902 further comprises an annular
groove 916 between an intermediate cylindrical surface 914 and the
head 908. The annular groove 916 comprises three detents 918. The
annular groove 916 and detents 918 engage a projection or pin found
in the upper receiver 112 of a firearm that typically engages with
a conventional take down pin 108. The three detents 918 define
three annular positions of the speed cam: a locked position, an
open position, and removable position. The detents 918 provide
tactile feedback to a user so that the user can feel when the speed
cam assembly 900 is in one of the locked, open, and removable
positions. The annular groove 916 allows the speed cam 902 to
rotate with the pin of the upper receiver being held within the
annular groove 915 by the head 908 and the intermediate cylindrical
surface 914. This allows rotation of the speed cam 902 but prevents
the removal of the speed cam 902.
On the second end 906 of the speed cam 902, a terminal cylindrical
surface 920 is provided. The intermediate cylindrical surface 914
and terminal cylindrical surface 920 allow the speed cam to rotate
within standard apertures of an upper and lower receiver 110, 112
that receive the take down pin 108.
In FIG. 9B, locking cam surfaces 922 are provided that have a
radius similar to the terminal cylindrical surface 920. The locking
cam surfaces 922 interact with the upper receiver 110 to secure the
upper receiver when the speed cam is rotated to the locked and
closed position. When the speed cam 902 is rotated to the removable
position, the projection of the upper receiver 110 aligns with the
detent 918 adjacent to a groove 924. The groove allows the speed
cam 902 to be removed like a conventional take-down pin 108. An
additional detent 926 is provided at the end of the groove 924 on
the second end 906 of the speed cam 902. This gives tactile
feedback to the user that the speed cam 902 has cleared the upper
receiver 110 for disassembly.
FIG. 9C shows open cam surfaces 928. The open cam surface 928 have
a radius less than the radius of the intermediate cylindrical
surface 914 and the terminal cylindrical surface 920. The smaller
radius allows the upper receiver 110 to pivot away from the lower
receiver 112 when the speed cam is rotated to the open
position.
FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 10C show operation of a speed cam
assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 10A, the
speed cam assembly 900 is rotated to the open position. In this
position, the speed cam 902 allows the upper receiver 110 to rotate
slightly away from the lower receiver 112. This allows the pin 500
to raise so that the magazine release button 410 may operate to
release the magazine 104. Though the rotation shown is slight, it
is sufficient for the action of the firearm to be disengaged and
for the pin 500 to no longer interface with the locking catch 412
of the release button.
In FIG. 10B, the speed cam assembly 900 is rotated to the locked
position. In this position, the upper receiver 110 is held firmly
against the lower receiver 112. In FIG. 10C, the speed cam assembly
900 is rotated to the removable position and is pulled out to clear
the upper receiver 112 allowing the upper receiver 112 to be
completely disassembled from the lower receiver 110. Thus, a user
can conveniently operate the firearm.
While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it
will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many
more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within
the scope of this invention. In addition, the various features,
elements, and embodiments described herein may be claimed or
combined in any combination or arrangement.
* * * * *